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DETAILS ANNOUNCED FOR 19TH ANNUAL WSOY COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE

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The 19th Annual WSOY Community Food Drive, to be held on October 2nd, is shifting to monetary donations only in response to growing need and COVID-19.

WSOY and our community partners, ADM, First Mid Bank and Trust & J.L. Hubbard Insurance and Bonds, a First Mid Insurance Group, Skeff Distributing, Jones & Thomas/JTnet, Decatur Back & Neck Center, Tickets N Trips, First Christian Church, Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy & Colee’s Corner Drugs, DynaGraphics,  Kroger, Herald & Review, WAND-TV, The Community Foundation of Macon County and the United Way are pleased to announce the details for our annual food drive on October 2nd, 2020, 6AM-6PM at Airport Plaza Kroger on Rt. 36 in Decatur.  

Due to COVID-19, the WSOY Community Food Drive wants to ensure a safe event, while also ensuring the ability to provide to our community food banks during this time of need.  Our local food pantries are already seeing a dramatic uptick in need from first-time families due to severe economic downturn, COVID related layoffs and more.

Because of this, The WSOY Community Food Drive is asking for monetary donations only.  The reason is fourfold: 

  • Purchasing Power – Thanks to a partnership with the Central Illinois Food Bank, Decatur foodbanks will be able to purchase food for .19 per pound.  This means $1 can purchase 5lbs of food!
  • Avoiding Waste – Going to a “cash” only system allows the pantries to purchase goods they need the most on an as-needed basis and as their space allows, eliminating the need for off-site storage and the risk of expiration and contamination.  
  • Minimizing Manpower – The WSOY Community Food Drive has always been blessed with hundreds of volunteers. However, due the risks associated with COVID, we feel it is necessary to minimize the amount of manpower on site.  By collecting monetary donations only, we can cut our manpower by over half.  
  • Minimizing surface contact – Though the risk of COVID-19 thought surface contact is considered minimal, the number of hands that must handle donated food goods during the drive is immense. By allowing a drive-up cash donation system (card processing, checks, phone and online donation options will also be available), we can minimize the surface contact with items collected from the public.  

Last year, over 1.5 million pounds of food and cash were collected during our twelve hours of broadcast. This year, we hope to exceed that amount through your monetary donations! Every cent raised goes to the purchase of food!

Last year, because of the wonderful generosity of the community, the WSOY Community Food Drive was able to assist Catholic Charities Food Pantry, The Salvation Army Food Pantry, Good Samaritan Inn, Northeast Community Fund, The Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project, Extended Hands/Reasonable Services, Crossing Healthcare Prescription Gardens, Big Blue Backpacks, Mt Zion Food Pantry, AMELCA, Helping Hands Food Pantry, Moundford Food Pantry, Gods Shelter of Love, Blue Mound Food Pantry and more.

Thanks to our community partners, we can again offer a substantial financial award to the top five local schools that collect the most monetary donations for our drive.  Individuals and groups can collect donations ahead of time or come out to Kroger that day and make a donation in the name of a school.  The top five schools that generate the most in donations will be awarded a cash prize. Anyone can help support their favorite school by donating in the name of the school.  Parents, grandparents, booster clubs, bands, athletic teams and teachers can and will make the difference.  All Macon County Schools grades K-12 are eligible to participate.  

This year’s cash awards are as follows:

                1st Place – $2,500

                2nd Place – $1,500

                3rd Place – $1,000

                4th Place – $750

                5th Place – $500

Last year’s winners were (1st) Eisenhower High School (2nd) St. Teresa High School (3rd) Our Lady of Lourdes (4th) St. Pats (5th) Mt Zion Intermediate

How you can help the 19th Annual WSOY Community Food Drive:

  • You can participate by making a monetary donation. Checks can be made to “WSOY Community Food Drive”. (Tax deductible donations should be made to The United Way c/o WSOY Community Food drive.) 
  • Companies and organizations can consider an employee match contribution.
  • If your business has a marquis, show your support by displaying “WSOY Community Food Drive, October 2, 2020. 6am-6pm Kroger Rt. 36 East” 
  • Let us know if your company is doing a special promotion or fundraiser for the food drive so we can share it!  You can email details to lindsayromano@neuhoffmedia.com

For charities interested in receiving funding from the 2019 WSOY Community Food Drive, a fund distribution application will be available NowDecatur.com beginning September 22nd or by contacting Lindsay Romano at lindsayromano@neuhoffmedia.com or 217-423-9744.

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